Blacksburg Transit (BT), through the Commonwealth of Virginia, has exercised an option with New Flyer of America Inc. for four Xcelsior® clean diesel, 60-foot heavy-duty transit buses. The order is part of a state schedule and options are not recorded in the backlog.

“We are proud to once again provide the buses that BT needs to move both citizens, and students at Virginia Tech, throughout the community,” said Wayne Joseph, president, New Flyer of America. “As a hub for innovation, Virginia Tech strongly aligns with New Flyer’s vision to advance bus technology in America. The new Xcelsior buses for BT are fully accessible and feature American innovation in motion, to better serve passengers in Southwest Virginia.”

The purchase, which executes on planned fleet expansion and replacement initiatives, was supported by a combination of state and federal funding. Virginia’s Smart Scale program provided a significant portion of funding for this project. Established by the 2014 General Assembly, Smart Scale scores transportation projects based on an objective, outcome-based process that is transparent to the public and allows decision makers to be held accountable to taxpayers. Once projects are scored and prioritized, the Commonwealth Transportation Board has the best information possible to select the right projects for funding.

BT provides public transportation for Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, Christiansburg, and portions of Montgomery County. Over 3.7 million customers use BT’s services each year, making it the fifth highest ridership bus system in the Commonwealth of Virginia. There are 68 vehicles in the fleet, varying in size from vans to 60-foot long articulated transit buses.